


Revenge of the Fallen (An Uncharted AU)

by Moonlightmusic



Category: Uncharted (Video Games)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Gen, Sam and Chloe will begin to appear in later chapters, This starts off with just Rafe and Harry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-25
Updated: 2017-01-07
Packaged: 2018-06-10 18:11:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 22,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6968425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moonlightmusic/pseuds/Moonlightmusic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sick and tired of being in Nathan Drake’s shadow, Rafe Adler and Harry Flynn take it upon themselves to find the stolen Irish Crown Jewels.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Chance Arrangement

**Author's Note:**

> During my Uncharted 4 playthrough, I couldn't help but think about how interesting Rafe and Harry would be as partners, and that's how this AU started. I hope you enjoy it just as much as I did writing it!

The mindless chatter in the bar was almost too much for Rafe to handle. His head was pounding, and he knew it wasn’t from the drinks. It was from his annoyance, his anger, his disappointment.

15 years he had spent looking for Avery’s treasure. 15 years wasted. All because of Nathan Drake and his pesky crew. No matter what, they were always one step ahead, even if they seemed two steps behind. No matter what obstacle they faced, they were always able to overcome it, and that irritated Rafe greatly.

He finished his drink and all but slammed his empty glass on the counter. “Another Jack Daniel's with ice,” he said and the bartender nodded, quickly pouring his drink. It was getting late, and he knew he should’ve left by now, but what’s the point? He has no treasure and his reputation was surly down the toilet, and it wasn’t that high to begin with. Before he could down another drink, a voice interrupted his own thoughts.

"Drowning your sorrows as well?” the voiced asked with a distinctive British accent. He turned to look at him, an eyebrow cocked. 

“What?” Rafe asked, completely aggravated in both tone and expression.

“You just look like a man drowning his sorrows, that all.” The man took a sip of his drink, his gaze going to the TV behind Rafe. Rafe kept his gaze on the man however, trying to understand where that comment had come from. 

“And who are you to make such an accusation?”

“Harry. Harry Flynn,” he told him, “and I just know that look. It’s quite obvious really.”

Rafe rolled his eyes at the comment, letting out a scoff. “Well _Harry_ , I’ll have you know that I’m not in fact drowning my sorrows. I’m just Rafe, a man having a drink.” Harry raised an eyebrow to the comment, but made nothing of it. He shrugged and they both took another sip of their drinks.

“Sorry I said anything then.”

They sat and drank with an awkward silence between them. Occasionally, one would throw a glance at the other, but nothing would come up from it. Finally, Rafe decided it was time for him to go. He paid for his drinks and stood up, zipping up his black coat, only for a man to accidentally bump into him.

“Sorry,” the man said hastily and Rafe gave a swift nod. The man’s attention turned back to his friend as he continued his conversation. “Can you believe that Nathan Drake, a single person, could do all that? It sounds impossible, but he did it.”

Immediately, a look of disgust washed over Rafe’s face. “Nathan Drake. What a real pain in my ass,” he scoffed softly to himself, but Harry heard.

“Nathan Drake? Do you know Nathan Drake?” He asked.

Rafe turned around, giving his full attention to Harry. “I do, yes. Why do you ask?”

Harry gestured to the seat and Rafe reluctantly sat back down, leaning forward on the bar. “I know him too. In fact, I worked with him for some time, and against him as well. A real pain he can be, especially with those friends of his.” He finished off his drink and pushed the glass aside, shaking his head when offered another one.

Rafe couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle, “I know what you mean. He just doesn’t know when to stop. A cocky bastard he is.”

“So I take it you’ve been on the losing side as well?” He nodded, and Harry spoke again, “It’s a terrible feeling isn’t it? Once you’re against him, there’s no way out of it.”

“And that parade of losers he always bringing with him, they aren’t much better. And don’t even get me started on that brother of his,” Rafe said, causing Harry’s eyes to widen with shock and confusion.    

“He has brother?” Rafe nodded and Harry shook his head. “Nathan Drake has a brother; I don’t believe it.” He let out a sigh full of annoyance.

“I take it he never mentioned Sam to you? Typical Nathan. How did you know our common pest?”

Harry shook his head again before answering, “I was a treasure hunter, and I had done quite a few jobs with him. We were considered some of the best in the business. My boss at the time wanted this oil lamp from the Istanbul Palace Museum, so I went and found Drake and he, I, and this woman name Chloe could go after it. We got it too, and the resin inside it revealed a map. I took the map and left Drake to rot in some Turkish jail. Little did I know he got out, all because of Victor Sullivan and Chloe, and he became a thorn in my backside. And of course, the ‘Great Nathan Drake’ got what he wanted and won in the end.”

Rafe took a moment to let his story sink in, finally realizing who this man was. “You were a part of the Shambhala crew, weren’t you? The one with Lazarevic?” Harry nodded and Rafe spoke again, “I’ve hear stories about it, all of them revolving around how great Nathan Drake is.”

“Don’t they all,” Harry noted, and they both let out small laughs. Figuring they would be here for a while, Harry ordered them more drinks, and Rafe removed his jacket. They talked for some time, before Harry popped a question to Rafe. “I told you mine so tell me yours. How did you know Drake?”

He put down his drink and let out a groan. “15 years ago I worked with him and his brother to find Henry Avery's long lost treasure. We even got ourselves locked up because we would be near a prison cell that held a cross we were looking for. We ended up losing touch after escaping, but I continued my search for clues involving the treasure. I soon found myself on the right path, and so did Nathan and Sam. We all found the long lost Libertalia, then to Avery’s ship and were inches away from the treasure. Nothing came out of it though, it was engulfed by flames, and Nathan Drake came out with stories of glory and I got nothing.”

“Seems like we’re two sides of the same coin,” Harry commented and they clinked their glasses, finishing up their drinks.

“Just once,” Rafe said staring into his empty glass,” I wish he wouldn’t win.” Harry smiled in agreement, pushing his own glass aside. “He needs a taste of his own medicine, knocked down a peg.”

“Then let’s do it. Let’s knock him down that peg,” Harry said as he paid the tab. Rafe only gave him a look.

“What do you mean?”

“Let’s go find ourselves some treasure.”

“Treasure isn’t gonna fall from the sky Harry,” Rafe remarked almost mockingly, giving him an almost annoyed look.

Harry held his hands up to defend himself, “I know I know, but I have an idea. Care to hear?” Rafe nodded. “We’re gonna find the missing Irish Crown Jewels and the five collars.”

Confusion washed over Rafe’s face. Did he really say the Irish Crown Jewels? What was he trying to pull? “The Irish Crown Jewels? The one’s stolen from Dublin Castle in 1907? Do you know how ridiculous you sound right now?”

“Calm down Rafe, I know. Just hear me out. I use to work with someone who wanted to find them, used all their money and resources to do so too. They won’t get the chance though; they’re wasting away in some jail cell right now.” Before Harry could continue, Rafe interrupted.

“Can we get to the point here?” He asked irritated. He was never known for having patience.

“I’m getting there,” Harry said trying to calm the other down. “The point is; I have all his research. We can go find them. Then all the glory will fall onto us.”

“Okay, I see what you’re getting at, but how does finding some jewels make greater than Nathan?”

“Because, they’re on one of the Skellig Islands, and that’s not all. According to their sources, there are countless other treasure as well. Paintings, sculptures, weapons, vases, and other countless gems. You name it, there’s a possibility it’ll be there. That’s what’ll make us greater than Drake.”

A devious smile formed on Rafe’s lips, myriad thoughts running through his mind. “You know, I like the way you think Harry. Do you know which of the island it’s on?” Harry shook his head. “That’s alright, at least we have an idea of where it is.”

“Then all we need is a crew and a whole lot of money.”

“Don’t worry,” Rafe smirked, “money’s no problem. But let’s forgo the crew, this is for us and us only.” Harry was surprised with the comment.

“Are you sure?”

“About what? The money or the crew?”

“Both.”

“My parents ran this giant underground criminal operation. I got money flying out the ass. As for the crew, we don’t need them. They’ll just get in the way. We can do this ourselves, trust me,” Rafe explained.

“I’ll take your word for it,” Harry responded as he held his hand out, “So do we have a deal?”

“We got a deal,” Rafe answered, shaking his hand. They both got up, and Rafe put his jacket back on. Harry was just about to begin his walk to the exit when Rafe placed his hand on his shoulder. “Give me your phone for a minute.” Without hesitation, Harry unlocked his phone and handed it over. After a few moments Rafe returned it.

“Why did you need it?”

“I just put my number in it, seeing as we’re gonna be partners and all. When you’re ready to discuss further details, text me.”

“Alright,” Harry said and they both left the bar. They gave each other a final nod before Rafe headed to his car and Harry to his motorcycle. They drove away in opposite directions, left to their own thoughts. However, they did share a similar one.

_What the hell did I just get myself into?_


	2. Let's Talk

Cruising down the highway on his motorcycle, Harry was making his way to the hotel Rafe was staying at. It’s been a few days since they met at the bar, and he had finally texted him, saying he was ready to plan out the details. To be honest, he was completely shocked that they were going through with this, he thought the alcohol did all the talking that night. But nevertheless, here he was on the way to him.

He turned into the parking lot, parking his bike near the entrance. He took a few notebooks out of the saddlebag and he pulled his phone out as he entered the building, checking his messages to remind himself which room Rafe’s in. Room 111 he read and looked over at a sign in the lobby, which told him the room would be on the fourth floor. Taking the elevator up, he kept to himself as other entered, keeping his eyes on the changing number above the door. Once it hit the fourth floor, he got out and took a right, making his way to Rafe’s room.

He knocked on the door with the 111 sign to its right, and he could hear footsteps from behind the it. When the door opened, he could see Rafe in a white shirt with grey pants, and his hair disheveled.

“You could’ve told me you were on your way,” Rafe said, his voice low and scratchy, “I could’ve made myself and this room a little presentable.” He motioned for Harry to enter.

“It’s alright, I’ve seen worse,” he told him as he walked inside. “Besides, you told me to come today,” which only got an eye roll from Rafe.

It was a typical hotel room, the walls tan and the floor a black carpet. It had one bed however, and it looked as if a tornado had hit it. Rafe picked up the articles of clothing that sat on the edge and walked over the bathroom.

“Sit anywhere you like, I’ll be right back.”

Harry took of his maroon jacket, placing it on a chair and the notebooks on the desk before sitting on the unkempt bed. He got on his phone to pass the time, and not long after did Rafe come out of the bathroom, now wearing a black shirt and pants with his hair combed back.

“Did you bring the books?” Rafe asked as Harry set his phone down. He got up and pointed over at the desk, and Rafe turned around. “Good.”

“Go on, take a look at them,” Harry said as he walked over. Rafe picked up one and flipped through it, his eyes widening.

“Holy shit, your friend really went all out. How long had they been searching for the missing jewels?”

“A few years,” Harry replied picking up one of the other notebooks. “Take a look at this,” he said and Rafe looked over. On the page was a letter written by a man Cináed O’Fáilbhe.

“I have been lurking around Dublin Castle for a month as of today,” Rafe read aloud, “and I believe I shall be able to find my way inside within the next few days. I am glad I was able to trick Finley into paying for this entire ordeal. He should know to never trust a thief. Signed Cináed O’Fáilbhe.” Rafe brought his gaze to Harry, “Who are they?”

“Well, there isn’t much on who Finley was. Without a last name it’s practically impossible to find out anything on him. But Cináed O’Fáilbhe? That was a codename used by Robert Farley, some professional thief from America,” Harry explained, putting the notebook down and Rafe followed suit. “This was his final job before he just vanished.”

“Hm,” Rafe said confused, “I’ve never heard of him before.”

“Most haven’t, he rarely used his actually name and he made sure to keep himself on the down-low. I think he’s our guy”

“The one who stole the jewels?” Harry nodded and Rafe smiled, which quickly turned into a frown. “I thought Frank Shackleton stole them.”

“Well, there are many rumors and theory’s on who stole them,” Harry explained, “But Farley’s the only one who I have a big lead on.”

“Still, that doesn’t explain how they got the Skellig Islands though.”

“That’s what had me stumped too, until I read this,” Harry said as he flipped through the same notebook that contained the letter and pulled out another and handed it to Rafe. “This here says that the islands were like a thief safe haven back in the day. Countless thieves stow away their treasures there for safe keeping.”

“So that explains all the other countless gems that are there. Still, that’s incredible.” Rafe read over the letter quickly before placing it back on the desk. He gave Harry his full attention as he sat down on the bed. “How does no one know about this?”

“Honor among thieves. Don’t ask, don’t tell,” he told him as he leaned against the desk. “Many rumors have come up about it, but no one’s ever looked into it. Many think it’s just a hoax.”

“And you’re sure it isn’t?” Rafe queried. He didn’t want to waste his time with a wild goose chase. A lot was riding on this.

“Positive. I wouldn’t have even mentioned this if I wasn’t.” Harry placed the letter back in the notebook on the desk. “Now, all we need to do it talk about the details and then we’re good to go.”

“Like I told you at the bar, money is no problem. Just tell me what we need and I’ll be sure to get it.”

What a smug asshole Harry thought to himself, but he was glad to be working with him believe it or not. He knew he wouldn’t be able to do this job alone. “Well, were definitely gonna need a boat so we can get to the islands, and we’re gonna be there for a few days so food and water would be nice. We can take shelter in the huts if we need to, so no need for a tent. Oh, and weapons just in case. Feel free to add anything.”

“Alright,” Rafe said as he finished typing into his phone, “I should have everything set up in a few days.” He couldn’t hide the smile forming on his lips, and Harry noticed it.

“Happy?”

Rafe brought his attention to him, “Happy? You’re goddamn right I’m happy. Finding this treasure is gonna shine a spotlight on us, and I know that will piss both Nathan and Sam off greatly. Just think about it. The unknown villains are gonna be shown as hero’s. How can that not piss them off?”

“I’ll take your word for it.” There was an awkward silence between them after that, and it was then when Harry decided it was time for him to be leaving. “So I’ll just head out and you can call me when you have everything set up.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Rafe said as he stood up and he and Harry shook hands. Harry was about to gather up the notebooks but Rafe stopped him, “Leave those here, I wanna read over them if you don’t mind.”

“Fine by me,” he said placing a notebook back down on the desk. He walked out the door and made his way to the elevator, and eventually back down to the lobby. Once he was out in the parking lot, he realized that he left his phone on Rafe’s bed. “Shit,” he muttered, and made his way back inside only to be met with Rafe’s stepping out of the elevator.

“Ah, I guess you realized you forgot this,” he said as he handed Harry’s phone over. He quickly said thank you and was about to turn around when he heard Rafe speak again. “Just take better care of your stuff.”

Harry only snickered and mumbled something under his breath, leaving the hotel lobby once more. Rafe on the other hand stood there for a moment, a slightly annoyed expression plastered on his face. He watched through the glass doors as Harry left, and walked outside once he was sure he gone. Pulling his phone out, he dialed a number and placed it up to his ear.

“Hey, I’m gonna need a boat.”


	3. On the Island

While Rafe was at the front of the boat steering them towards the Island, Harry was trying his best not to vomit his lunch. He hasn’t been on a boat since he was a child, and that experience wasn’t one he was too keen on reliving. Next thing he knew however; he was practically hauling his upper half over the side of boat, vomiting into the sea. He couldn’t help but gag afterwards as it left a bitter, acid taste in his mouth and his throat burning.

“You okay back there?” Rafe asked sarcastically, knowing full well he wasn’t.

“Oh fantastic _love_ ,” Harry replied in a similar tone, which only got an eye roll from Rafe. “Please tell me we’re almost there, I don’t think I can take much more of this.” He rubbed his temples and sat on the chest they brought, trying to think of anything other than this hellacious boat ride.

"Quit your whining, we’re almost there,” Rafe told him. He could see one of the islands in the distance, hordes of birds flocking about, but that wasn’t all. “What in the hell,” he said quietly, squinting at the island.

“What? Something wrong?” Harry asked from the back of the boat, standing up to see what was bothering Rafe. That was a mistake however, as it only made him feel sicker, and he brought himself back down.

Rafe blinked a few times, and whatever he thought he saw was gone. “Do people visit this island often?”

"Yes, but tours are closed right now,” Harry explained. “Why, is someone there?” Having other people on the island would but a huge dent in their plan, especially if they were looking for the treasure as well.

Rafe shook his head, “I thought I saw another boat, but I don’t see anything now.” He had hoped that this expedition would go by smoothly, but now there was a growing fear in his gut that something would amiss. He pushed the thought into the back of his mind, not wanting to think about it. “Let’s just think about the task at hand,” his voice strained.

“Fine by me,” Harry said, sensing his partner’s anger. He would be lying if he said he wasn’t excited for this. They both were in fact, just for different reasons. But the idea of the possibility of there being someone else here was scary in a way.

While Harry was lost in his own thoughts, Rafe approached the island dock, pulling in slowly. “Harry, can you tie the line?”

“Hm?” he mumbled while perking up, and Rafe gestured to the rope. “Oh, yea.” As he secured the line, it started to lightly rain, hitting the ground with small thumps. Harry got out of the boat and sat down to collect himself. Rafe walked to the chest and opened it, pulling out his personal Colt M1911 and Harry’s 92FS-9mm, as well as a pair of binoculars. He holstered his, and handed the others to Harry after he got off the boat.

“Are you ready to go or do you need a minute?” Harry stood up, which gave Rafe his answer. “Then let’s go.” They began to walk up the pathway, silently at first, before Rafe broke it. “According to the sources you gave me, most of them pointed to Skellig Michael. I can honestly say our best bet is coming here first.”

Harry nodded in agreement, “That’s what I thought too when I glanced over them. It’s the obvious choice really.” Silence surrounded them once more as they continued to take the steps.

The scenery was absolutely breathtaking to say the least, which was something they both noticed on the boat ride over. The grass that covered was a vivid green, and the jagged structure of the island itself was beautiful against the skyline. It was fascinating to know that such a structure could withstand harsh weather year after year and not look at all eroded.

They continued up the steps with the rain became much harder, hitting them like daggers. Every so often, one of them would wince when hit, but they didn’t let it stop them.

“We gotta be careful,” Harry chimed in causing Rafe to shift his glance over to him. “The rain makes the stones slippery.”

“We’ll be fine.” Rafe told him, but it left no reassurance. “I’ll be making my way to the top by the way.” Harry looked over at Rafe with a curious expression as he pulled out a map from his back pocket. “According to this, there are many possibilities to where the actual entrance is located, so I say we start at the top and make our way down. You agree?” Harry nodded. “Good. Come on, follow me.” And he strayed from the path and Harry followed without hesitation.

“I’m guessing the first entrance isn’t on that path,” Harry said behind Rafe.

“Woah, really?” Rafe said sarcastically, “I thought I was just taking the scenic route. Did you even bother to look at the notes or…?”

“Really Rafe?” Harry said, his voice filled with annoyance. “Sorry I didn’t memorize the text word for word. Besides, you could be a little nicer. If it wasn’t for me, you’d still be drinking yourself numb at that shitty bar.”

“And you wouldn’t?” Rafe said smirking, and Harry wanted to push him right then and there. It took all his restraint not to. He took a deep breath and settled for an eye roll instead.

As they walked further from the path, they left the safeness of the steps and were met with grassy terrain. Harry was about to ask if Rafe was sure about there not being a stone path they could take, but decided against it. Instead, he continued to follow his lead, both of them silent. Rafe stopped dead in his tracks, and Harry followed suit.

“You see that tiny opening up there?” He asked him, pointing to it.

Harry brought out his binoculars, bringing them to his face to look. “Yea, I’m guessing your plan is the climb up them?”

“Uh huh. Hope you aren’t afraid of heights,” Rafe told him as he walked closer to the rocky edge. Harry was about to tell Rafe to wait a moment, but he was too late. Rafe attempted to jump, but lost his footing and slipped off the edge, yelling as he did so.

Harry dropped the binoculars and raced over to see Rafe dangling one-handed from the edge. He bent down, extending his arm for Rafe to grab, but he didn’t. He was in shock, the expression on his face showed it. “Grab my hand you idiot!” Harry shouted, finally getting Rafe’s attention. Using his free hand, Rafe grabbed onto Harry’s who used all his strength to pull him up.

Bringing Rafe back onto the island, both of them were breathing heavily. “That was close,” Harry stated and Rafe only nodded.

“I need a minute to catch my breath. You just start climbing, I’ll catch up.”

“Look Rafe,” Harry said as Rafe sat down, “There’s no way we can climb this, not with this rain. It’s too dangerous”

“We didn’t come up here just to leave,” Rafe told him, his breath still heavy. Harry only rolled his eyes in disbelief.

“You know that’s not what I’m saying. All I’m saying is that we either find a different way up there, or maybe we go and check-,” Harry didn’t get to finish as Rafe interrupted him.

“Listen Harry, I’m going up there regardless of what you say. Now you can either follow me or not, you’re choice.” Rafe got back up and brushed off the back of his pants, and brought himself back to the edge. He was about to jump once more before Harry placed a hand on his shoulder, sighing while doing so. Rafe looked back with an irritated look.

“Then at least take these,” he told him, handing him a pair of gripped gloves. Rafe took them, yet the look remained on his face.

“And why did you give me these before?” he asked while he put them on.

“I didn’t think we’d be scaling rocks on an island with pathways and you jumped before I could hand them to you. You’re lucky that bringing them is second nature to me, I almost didn’t,” Harry explained in an attempt to defend himself. Rafe was about to make a comment, but decided against it. Instead, he jumped off and onto a piece of rock bulging from the side as Harry took a few steps back. “Fine, but don’t you die on me.”

“Why? Would you miss me?” Rafe asked sardonically as he began to climb upwards.

“No,” Harry told him, “you’re the only one who can drive the boat.” He kept his eyes glued to Rafe’s moving body, making sure he made it to the top safely. Once he saw that Rafe disappeared into the entrance, he turned and walked away, searching the nearby grounds. While searching however, he could hear whispers and footsteps and he knew they weren’t Rafe’s.

Stopping what he was doing, Harry went in search of the noise, walking further and further away from that ledge. He thought he could see figures in the distance. “Oh shit,” he muttered as he hid himself behind a rock. He patted himself looking for his binoculars when a frown formed on his face, remembering that he dropped them when he went to save Rafe’s ass. He squinted, trying to see if he could make out them but it was to no avail. He then jolted aloft when a finger tapped his shoulder.

“Woah, didn’t mean to scare you,” Rafe said putting his hands up. Harry didn’t respond, he only rested his hand on his heart for a moment before running it through his hair. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost. You alright?”

Harry nodded, trying to catch his breath. “Was there anything behind that entrance?” He asked, attempting to turn the attention away from him.

"Kinda,” Rafe told him while shrugging, “There was an actual room behind it, albeit a small one. Had a bed, a desk, and a chair all made out of stone.”

“Oh.”

“That wasn’t all though, there was this,” He said while pulling a piece of paper out of his back pocket, unfolding it to show Harry. “It just inventory,” he explained, “and that’s the only page that was up there.”

“What’s with these on the corners of the page?” Harry pointed to and again Rafe only shrugged.

Each corner had a circle on it, each with a letter in the middle. The top right-hand corner has an S, the top left-hand corner had an F, the bottom left-hand corner had a K, and the bottom right-hand corner had a P.

“I have no idea,” he honestly said, putting it back in his pocket. “We’ll figure it out soon enough though, I’m sure of it. Here,” and he gave Harry his binoculars, “you dropped them.”

He thanked him and immediately put them to use, looking in the direction of where he spotted the figures. “No,” he whispered, but loud enough for Rafe to hear, and a wave of concern washed over his face.

"What?” Rafe probed as he grabbed the binoculars from Harry’s face, looking in the same direction. He pulled them down after a moment, ire now forming on his face. “What the hell are they doing here?”


	4. Old Friends New Problems

“God dammit,” Rafe nearly screamed, punching the side of a nearby rock. He rubbed his hand afterwards, his knuckles turning red and stinging. “With all the places in the world, why in the hell is he here?”

“How does she even know about this?” Harry questioned, running his fingers through his hair and trying to think. “I don’t think I ever mentioned this to her.” He brought his attention over to Rafe who was contemplating punching the rock once more. “Wait a moment, do you know who that guy is?”

"That’s Sam Drake, the brother to our dear old friend Nathan,” his voice was dripping with venom and Harry’s eyes widened. “I can’t believe he knows of this,” he said crossing his arms and looking down at the ground. His voice began to trail off, getting softer with every word, “Of course he knows about this.” Silence sat between them for a short moment before Rafe brought his eyes to Harry. “Now,” he said with irritation washing over him. “who’s she?”

“Chloe Frazer that’s who. She worked with Drake in Shambhala after betraying Lazarevic and me,” Harry explained, irritated as well. Both of them couldn’t fathom the thought of them being here. This was supposed to be their treasure, their redemption in a sense. But now, they both knew it wouldn’t go exactly as planned. “I just don’t know how she knows about this.”

“You,” Rafe simply stated, “She found out through you, even if you didn’t tell her.” Harry only cocked an eyebrow, annoyance showing on his face. “Look, I’m not saying this is your fault.”

“Yes you are,” Harry spat at him. Rafe took a few steps closer to him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“No. I’m not. All I’m saying is she found out through you. You’re the one who has all the notes and research on it.” He removed his hand from his shoulder, but stayed close to him. “Don’t take it personally,” He told him, looking him in the eyes, “Come on, let’s go. We go a treasure to fine.” Harry nodded and followed as Rafe slowly walked away.

“So, where are we heading next?” Harry asked.

“Over to the monastery, where the graveyard is,” Rafe told him, and Harry mumbled something that couldn’t be heard. “I’m beginning to think that the treasure isn’t on this island, at least not anymore. But, there’s probably a clue of some-sort, and I sure as hell won’t let them get to it before us.”

“I’ll take your word for it,” Harry replied and Rafe gave him a look but didn’t say anything. They walked the rest of the way in silence, until they reached the monastery.

All the grass that could be seen covering the entire island was sparse here. Everything was now replaced with dirt and stone. There were graves in the middle of surrounding huts, with others scattered about. Other than that it was pretty bare.

"I’m gonna go check those huts over there,” Harry said breaking the long silence, “How about you see if there’s anything significant on those gravestones?”

“Fine by me,” Rafe said, and they separated. He walked around, examining each gravestone in this area. Most had nothing written on them, others were damaged, and a few looked as if there was writing on them but impossible to read. Frowning, he brought his gaze over to the huts.

He watched as Harry left one hut and entered another, a frown on his face as well. It seems they both weren’t having any luck finding anything. With no other graves to look at, Rafe walked over to the hut Harry was searching.

“Are you having better luck than me?” He asked, only to be met with a frightened look from Harry, who hastily pulled him in and shoved him against the wall. Anger and annoyance quickly filled Rafe. “What the hell do you think you’re doing,” he barked trying to push Harry aside, but to no avail.

“Shut up and listen,” Harry said. Breathing heavily, Rafe did and two voices filled his ears.

“Are you sure there’s anything down here? I’m really not a huge fan of going near dead bodies,” a deep voice asked.

“Afraid of dead bodies,” a female voice mocked, laughing softly, “and you call yourself a treasure hunter. You’re as bad as your brother. But yes I’m sure, his notes said something about these huts.”

Rafe’s eyes widened. “Shit,” he mumbled, “Sam and Chloe are here.”

Harry nodded. “We can’t let them see us. I don’t feel like dealing with them directly.” He took his weight off Rafe, who began to walk over to the entrance of the hut.

“When it’s safe I’m gonna run, and when I run you’re gonna follow me,” his voice was soft as he explained the spontaneous plan. Harry walked closer to him, waiting. After a short moment, Rafe ran and Harry followed.

Their hearts increased with its beats as small amounts of fear fueled them. They leaped over a stone way, landing on the ground with harsh thuds. Rafe continued to run over to a small stone stairway, only to halt when he heard Harry’s groan in pain. He turned to see him still laying on the ground, and his eyes only widened when he heard Sam’s voice.

“Chloe, did you hear that? You search the huts, I’m gonna go check out whatever that sound was.”

Rafe ran over to Harry, pulling him to his feet. “Come on, we don’t have time, we gotta go,” he told him. He gave him a quick pat on the back as they began to run over to a stone stairway, leading into a passage underneath the monastery above. Once there, they both got a moment to catch their breaths. “Are you okay?” Rafe asked, his voice soft and full of vexation.

Harry nodded. “I just landed the wrong way, that’s all.”

“You almost got us spotted.”

Harry rolled his eyes, deciding it was best not to respond. Leaning on the stone wall, he crossed his arms as he looked over at Rafe who was obviously annoyed at the current situation at hand. He knew it wasn’t because he fell, but the fact that Chloe and Sam were here. In Rafe’s thoughts, this was supposed to go off without a hitch and be a stab at Drake. Now with those two on the island looking for the treasure as well, it was going to become more complicated. That’s what annoyed Rafe.

Rafe noticed Harry staring, but decided not to say anything about it. He was pissed, beyond pissed actually. This was supposed to be easy, but now it’s taking a drastic turn. He became lost in his own thoughts, only to come back when he heard Harry’s voice.

“So what are we gonna do next?”

“Well we can’t leave, not until they’re gone anyways. So I guess we wait,” Rafe scoffed, leaning onto the wall. He jumped when he heard a noise, and looked at the wall behind him. One of the lower stones became indented, causing the ones in the middle to move and reveal a hidden passage. Both of them held confused looks on their faces. “This seems far too advance for their time,” Rafe noted.

“I’ve learned never to question these things,” Harry remarked, a smile forming on his face. “Wanna check it out?”

Rafe smiled as he looked over at him. “After you,” and he followed as Harry walked inside. Everything was shrouded by the darkness within, which caused them both to walk into the wall and each other countless time. “Shit, I should’ve brought that flashlight.”   

“No worry’s mate,” Harry chimed in as he brought his lighter out. It was able to illuminate the area surrounding them, but not much past them. “It’s not the best, but it’s better than nothing.”

Just like the area above, it was all dirt and stone, but with the addition of wooden support beams. It was tight and narrow, which caused them to stay close to one another, and had no deviations to the path. However, as they walked further inward, they were met with a choice. Turn right, or continue forward.

“So, I’m guessing I’ll go one way and you’ll go the other?” Harry asked Rafe.

“Splitting up,” Rafe said cocking his eyebrow, “we’re not splitting up. You’re the only one with any sort of light source. Going right should lead under the huts, so I say we turn right. Any objection?”

“Right it is,” Harry said, turning and walking the new pathway. As they walked, his lighter flickered and went out. “Son of a bitch,” Harry muttered trying to revive it, but got nothing. He put it back in his pocket, and they continued forward in the dark, which felt as if it was leading nowhere. That was until Harry walked into a door, and stumbled backwards in to Rafe.

“Looks like we found our way out,” Rafe said, pushing past Harry as he was regaining his footing. He opened the door to reveal a room, and they both walked inside.

“Oh great. I guess this is some sort of puzzle. How fun,” Harry jested.


	5. The Birds

“How quaint,” Rafe said as they walked further into the room. It had a dirt floor and stone walls. There was a table in the middle, where 4 small bird figurines rested. In each corner of the room, there was a white column with a nest on top.

“So, we need to place a bird in each nest,” Harry stated as he looked around. He picked up a bird and examined it, placing it down shortly after. “Now, the only question is which goes where.”

Each of the figurines had a distinctive look. One had its back painted black with a white underbelly and an orange beak. Sitting next to it was one that was slightly smaller, and was painted completely black except for a v-like shape near the tail. The last two were very similar, both being mainly white with their wings and backends gray. The major difference between them however, was one was plumper and the other had a yellow beak.

With neither of them saying anything, Harry went over to look at the columns while Rafe looked over the birds. Upon inspection, he noticed that each column had a button underneath the nest. Pushing them did nothing however. There must be something with the figurines that when the correct one is placed on the correct column, it’ll cause a proper reaction. Yet, the proper reaction remained unknown.

It didn’t look like there was another door, minus the one that they both entered through. Then again, the entrance to the underground tunnel didn’t look like it had a door either. Nevertheless, they weren’t going to get far until they could figure out which bird went where. The task almost seemed impossible, until Harry remembered that piece of paper Rafe found in that room on the side of the mountain.

“Rafe,” Harry called as he walked back over to him, “You still have that paper right? The one you found in that room.”

Pulling the paper out, he put it on the table for Harry to see. “I also found this under the table,” he told him as he handed the new finding to him.

“To the right the orange beak strikes,” Harry read aloud, “with a storm brewing near. On the left the sun goes down and the fat one rises.” After he finished reading, they both turned to the birds. “So all we gotta do is place them in the right next according to this and the one you found in that room.”

“Can’t be too hard,” Rafe commented, “We know for sure that the orange beaked one goes on the right.” He picked up the bird with the orange beak. “Now, top or bottom?”

Harry shrugged as he looked over both pieces of paper. “Well, on the right is S and P. The S could stand for the storm brewing near, so I guess our best bet it to put it on the bottom.” Without another word, Rafe walked over to the column in the bottom right-hand corner and placed the bird in the nest.

“Now what,” Rafe said walking back.

Harry pointed to the fat one, “That one goes on the left. It says the fat one rises to place it on the top one.” Rafe cocked an eyebrow, but said nothing as he picked it on and placed it on the bottom column. “Now we have a problem,” Harry said as Rafe walked back. “We have two left, and I can’t place where they go.”

“Yellow usually represents the sun,” Rafe scoffed as he picked up the figurine with the yellow beak, “so this goes on the column on the top left. The last one goes on the remaining column.”

Harry resisted the urge to roll his eyes at his partner’s smugness, since he knew he was right. Picking up the black figurine, he walked over to the column on the top right as Rafe walked over to the one on the bottom left. When they placed them down, several clicks could be heard and the sound of something opening filled their ears. Looking around, a passage in-between the columns on the right was revealed.

“Let’s go,” Rafe said walking over. They went through it, unsurprised when they were met with darkness once more. Harry pulled out his lighter in an attempt to make it work, but got nothing. Each walking with a hand on the wall to guide themselves, they slowly made their way through.

They came up to a door, but it wouldn’t budge no matter how many times Rafe tried to push it open. He let out a groan of frustration as Harry pushed him aside. “Allow me,” Harry said as he rammed his shoulder against the door, however to no avail. “Rafe, help me with this,” he urged. Both of them took a few steps back, and ran into the door with all their might. It opened and they found themselves in a new room, bright lights hitting them.

The room was massive and both wondered how it could exist inside the rock of the mountain. Unlike the rest of the areas, the floor didn’t consist of dirt and the wall wasn’t stone. The floor had a wooden finish and the walls looked as if they were a white marble knock off. Around the room were many shelves and open chests and the walls help many picture frames. The only thing that shocked the duo however, was that everything was empty.

“We found the room,” Harry said.

“And it’s empty,” Rafe stated.

“Well, you were right. You said the treasure probably wasn’t on the island anymore.”

“Yes, but I didn’t actually want to be right,” Rafe angrily told him. Taking a few more steps into the room, something in the corner caught his eye. He motioned for Harry to follow, and they both made their way over.

Once over, Harry only gave Rafe a confused look. “What are we doing over here?”

“That floorboard is slightly askew,” he told him while pointing to it, “it’s been moved. Check what’s under it.”

Harry gave him a glare, but did as he was told. Using force, he pulled the floorboard off, and almost gagged when he saw what was underneath it. “That’s just gross.”

Revealed was a completely intact skeleton, wearing a worn-out shirt and slacks. It had no hair, but was wearing a blue bandana. Dust and scattered cobwebs surrounded it.

Rafe made no comment about it, as he only looked at his partner. He made a gesture, indicating that he wanted Harry to see if the body had anything worth wild on it.

“Sorry _love_ , but I’m not touching that. You have hands, you do it.” Harry took a few steps back, letting Rafe have full access.

Rafe looked annoyed. However, he bent down and the sound of bones clattering filled Harry’s ears. He shuddered at it, and was thankful he wasn’t the one doing it. It takes one bad encounter with a skeleton to just turn you away from all of them. While lost in his own thoughts, he didn’t notice Rafe standing directly in front of him, holding a small leather bound journal.

“Harry,” Rafe said as he placed a hand on his shoulder, giving it a slight shake. “You okay?” Harry only nodded and Rafe moved his hand away. “Good. I found this on him,” Rafe told him as he handed the journal over. Harry opened and flipped through its pages, a confused look becoming on his face.

“This doesn’t make any sense. These are just jumbled letters, not words,” Harry stated while closing the journal.

“It’s… Shit, I don’t know the right word for it, but it’s basically another puzzle,” Rafe told him. “Either the letters a mixed-up, or each letter stands for another. We’ll figure it out, trust me.”

“I’ll take your word for it,” Harry halfheartedly replied. He handed it back to Rafe, and they both made their way away from the open floorboard. “You ready to leave? Or do you think there might be something else in this room?”

Rafe shook his head. “We got the journal, and that’s probably the only important thing here. Let’s get-”

“My my, look what we have here.” The voice of Chloe filled their ears, causing their eyes to widen in shock.


	6. A New Obstacle

“Who’s your friend Harry?” Chloe harshly asked as Rafe and Harry turned to face her and Sam, gripping their guns firmly at their sides. Rafe casually pocketed the journal in the back pocket of his pants.

Before Harry could answer, Sam chimed in. “Rafe, what in the hell are you doing here?”  His voice echoed in the underground chamber. There was tension in the air, and everyone could sense it. However, with no other exit than the door they all entered through, Harry and Rafe saw no way out.

"Seeing as you’re not answering me Harry,” Chloe said bringing the two out of their silent trance, “I’m going to take Sam’s word that your little friend is Rafe.” The comment made Rafe grip his gun tighter, leaving small indents in his hand. “Still, doesn’t answer why you’re both here of all places.”

“Business,” Rafe calmly stated, hiding his anger. “Now if you would just excuse us, we were just leaving.” He took a few steps, only to be stopped when a hand grabbed his shoulder. It was Sam’s, which only pissed him off.

“Don’t act cute Rafe, tell us why you’re both here.”

A small smile formed on his face. “It’s none of your concern. Now step aside.” He brushed his hand off his shoulder and motioned for Harry to follow. Pushing past them, they made their way over toward the door. While Rafe held his head up high, Harry kept his down to avoid any and all eye contact. The situation at hand was pissing him off, as well as his partner, but Rafe wouldn’t let it show. No one was supposed to know about the supposed location of the jewels. It was supposed to be their moment. Why do those associated with Nathan Drake have to get involved with everything?

“What’s that in your back pocket Rafe?” Chloe asked causing them to come to a halt. Rafe turned to face her, an irritated look on his face. He just wanted to get out of this godforsaken place, it was of no use to him now. He needed to get back to civilization, call the guy from the Munich job, as he would know how to decipher the journal.

“It’s a notebook,” he told her with disdain, “it’s not illegal to have one.”

“Come on, let’s go,” Harry said, grabbing Rafe’s wrist to pull him back. They needed to get out of here.

Chloe was about to say something, but Sam interjected. “Just let them go, it’s not worth it. Besides, we know how this is gonna play out. We’re gonna end up on top. We always do,” he said with a laugh. The comment fueled anger in Rafe, who took a few steps forward and was about to pull his gun. He stopped when the grip on his wrist grew tighter.

“Rafe, let’s get out while we can,” Harry said softly. Rafe nodded, and they left leaving the other due alone to search an empty room.

They fumbled their way through the dark passage, and soon enough made their way above ground. It was now nighttime, and stars filled the clear sky. The sound of the waves would’ve been calming, but they were both too angry to feel anything but. They walked away so they wouldn’t have to face the others when they left, and ended up sitting on stone steps away from the monastery.

“So what’s next?” Harry asked, breaking the silence between them. Rafe was silent for a moment, staring off into the night.

“We get off this island, that’s for damn sure. I know a guy who can work on that journal, so I’ll contact him.” His voice was steady, practically monotone. He kept his gaze off to the distance.

Harry looked over and studied his partners face, finding features in the dark. They both were annoyed with what they just encountered, but that wasn’t all. The comment Sam made really hit Rafe like a slap in the face. Mainly because it was true, and it was something they were determined to change. While he was lost in his own thoughts staring at Rafe, he didn’t notice Rafe turn to face him. “Are you okay?” Rafe asked, concern framed his words.

“Hm? Oh, I’m fine.” Embarrassed, he quickly turned away. “I think the real question is are you okay? That comment Sam…” he trailed off, deciding not to finish.

Rafe rolled his eyes and sighed, turning to face the distance again. “I’m fine. That’s just how the Drakes are. Cocky bastards. We’ll prove them wrong, trust me.”

“I’ll take your word for it.” Harry got up and stretched, and so did Rafe. “Ready to head back to the boat?”

Before Rafe could answer, two voices filled their ears. “Goddamnit, of course,” he stated.

“What? Did we ruin a moment?” Chloe sarcastically stated with a smirk on her face. “We’re just leaving. I though you guys were too?”

"We are,” Harry swiftly replied. A chill went down his spine when he saw Rafe go for his gun out of the corner of his eye. “Rafe don’t,” he whispered.

“You know; I really don’t want you two getting in the way of our success.” He waved his gun around carelessly, causing everyone to feel on edge.

“Rafe, put the gun away,” Sam told him.

“He won’t shoot,” Chloe said. Rafe raised an eyebrow at the comment. He aimed his gun towards her, which caused her to go for her own, but moved his aim to the middle of where she and Sam stood. He fired, and everyone practically jumped.

“If we cross paths again, I promise I won’t miss.” He left and made his way to where they parked their boat, leaving Harry alone with the two.

“You sure know how to pick them Harry,” Chloe told him. He scoffed, and walked in the direction of Rafe. The other two left in the opposite direction.

After a few moments, he caught up to Rafe and grabbed his arm. “What the hell was that for?” Rafe didn’t respond and pulled his arm away. The grip Harry had on him only tightened. “Answer me Rafe.”

“Let go of me,” he told him while staring directly into his eyes. Harry shook his head, and Rafe rolled his eyes. “I didn’t hurt them. I was sending a message.”

“All you did was piss them off. If anything, they’re more determined now.” Harry let go of his arm and took a few steps closer. “That was stupid.”

“Watch what you say. Without me, you wouldn’t be here,” he reminded him. He brought his face closer. “Got it?” They stood there for a moment without saying anything, and then Harry took a few steps back. “Good. Let’s go then. The boat’s over there.” They walked over in silence, finally reaching the boat. After untying the line and getting on, Rafe sat in the front at the wheel, while Harry sat in the back knowing seasickness would soon hit him.

The left in silence, both annoyed with the situation and each other. They expected there to be some trouble and some obstacles, but not Chloe and Sam, and certainly not with one another. Sure, they weren’t going to agree with everything, they’re both assholes and thieves, but the incident with Rafe put a bad taste in Harry’s mouth. He didn’t expect it to happen, it seemed so out of the ordinary. Then again, he really didn’t know Rafe other than the few days they’ve spent working together, so maybe this was perfectly normal behavior for him. Nevertheless, it did more harm than good.

“I’m sorry,” Rafe suddenly said bringing Harry out of his thoughts. “I always let my anger get the best of me.”

“Don’t worry about it mate,” he told him, “it’s really not a big deal.” It was somewhat of a lie, but it didn’t matter right now. “You know where you’re heading?”

“Yea, right back where we started. From there we can get in my car and head back to the hotel, and I’ll take care of it from there.”

Harry didn’t respond, he didn’t need to. He kept his eyes glued to the floor of the boat, trying to imagine he was anywhere but on the sea. After a while, he noticed the boat come to a stop, and he and Rafe got off and made their way into Rafe’s car.

 


	7. New Plans

After the long silent car ride, they finally arrived at the hotel Rafe was staying at. Harry looked over and saw that his motorcycle still stood where he left him, which calmed him in a way. They went inside and up the elevator, and made their way inside Rafe’s room.

Once inside, Harry flopped on to the bed and stretched, closing his eyes afterwards. Rafe however pulled his phone out and walked into another room. Harry took this moment of rest as a gift, knowing it wouldn’t last long. His mind wandered to what their next move would be, and then unpleasant thoughts came to mind. Sam and Chloe.

It’s obvious that Chloe found out about his searching for the Irish Crown Jewels, and then enlisted the help of Nathan’s brother Sam to find them. She didn’t need his help, but two heads are better than one in most situations. But now they really had to be careful. Both Harry and Rafe know what it feels like to be on the other end of Nathan’s wrath, and while he wasn’t a part of this excursion, Sam and Chloe weren’t amateurs. They know exactly what they’re doing, it’s almost a second nature to them.

After a few more moments of silent rest, Harry felt the weight shift on the bed. Opening his eyes and turning his head, he saw Rafe sitting next to him, scrolling through his phone. “What’s next?” he asked, really just wanting to sleep.

“Well, I called my contact and he gave me two options,” Rafe explained. “We can either send him the journal, he’ll decode it and send it back, or we can fly out to where he is, he’ll decode it, and then we can immediately head to the next destination.”

Harry looked at Rafe’s phone and saw him texting someone, but he couldn’t make out what he was typing. “Which one are we doing?”

"I don’t trust sending it, anything could happen. We’re flying to him. I’m contacting my private jet pilot right now.”

“You would have one,” Harry joked. He laid there in silence, with only the sound of rain hitting the windows filling his ears. He really needed some sleep, he hasn’t had a proper night’s rest in days. Dread filled him when he realized he would have to drive to his hotel, fearing he would crash due to exhaustion. “So, when are we leaving?”

“Tomorrow afternoon,” Rafe told him, turning to give him his full attention. “Oh, and you’ll need a tux.”

Harry sat up, giving him a confused look. “Why? Do I need to be formal to meet your friend?”

“Not at all,” Rafe explained, getting off the bed. “You just need one.”

"I don’t like surprises rich boy.”

Rafe chuckled, giving Harry a look. “Really? Cute. Anyways, we’ll being attending something and I need you to look nice for it.”

Harry rolled his eyes at the way Rafe was beating around the bush. “Can you just tell me? Please?”

Rafe let out a long sigh. “We’ll be attending a gala at the Alte Oper in Germany. It a high-class formal event, and we both need to look presentable. Happy?”

"Oh, very _love_ ,” he replied very sarcastically. “How are we getting in?”

Opening a drawer, Rafe pulled out a few slips of paper, handing one to Harry. “I have an invitation. You’re my plus one.”

“Aren’t you a sweet one, bringing me along to be your date. How nice.” Harry laid back down on the bed, now staring at the ceiling. “What exactly are we doing there? Or are you not gonna tell me?”

“Well _darling_ ,” he sardonically said, “we’ll be attending a symphony performance.” As he explained, only getting a groan from Harry. “Are you really that dense?” he asked, and Harry sat up feeling insulted. Before he could say anything, Rafe continued to speak. “It’s a black-tie event Harry. There are going to be many wealthy people there and we’re in a high-class building. I hope you know what that means.” Harry only nodded. “Perfect. Now, do you have a tux with you?”

“I might. I’m honestly not sure,” Harry told him. Waiting for Rafe’s reply, his eyes followed him to the other side of the room. He was typing something on his phone.

“We’ll get you one in the morning,” he replied, sitting on the bed next to Harry. His eyes were still one his phone, and Harry kept his eyes on him. Neither of them said a thing. Harry was extremely tired by now, and knew he had to get to his hotel. However, it was on the other side of town, and he didn’t know if he could make it. Part of him wanted to stay here, but would Rafe allow it? It wouldn’t hurt to ask, but he didn’t know exactly how to ask. He disregarded that thought and got up.

“I guess I should get back to my hotel. I’ll see you in the morning Rafe.”

Rafe finally perked up. “Are you sure? I don’t think you’ll make it out of the elevator without passing out. You look exhausted.” Harry was taken aback by Rafe’s concern, but at the same time he was glad. “If you need to, you can stay her for the night.”

“Are you sure? I mean, there’s only one bed. Where am I gonna sleep?” While he was happy about Rafe’s offer, it did seem out of the ordinary. Maybe he was tired as well, and the lack of sleep was getting to him.

“Really, it’s fine. I don’t need you dying on me. Besides, the bed’s giant, you can sleep on one side of it and I’ll have the other side. Or you can sleep in one of the chair’s if you’d like.” Harry sat back down on the bed, removing his jacket.

“Thanks,” he told him and Rafe nodded. As he laid down, Rafe got up and turned off the lights, and returned to his side of the bed. After telling one another goodnight, they both fell asleep.

~~~

Many hours later, Harry woke to the sound of Rafe’s loud voice yelling on the phone. He slowly sat up and saw Rafe through his tired gaze. He was pacing around the room, in an entirely different outfit from the night before and his hair dripping wet. When he noticed Harry was awake, he hung up. 

“Sorry I woke you, I didn’t intend to get that loud,” he apologized.

Harry shook his head. “It’s alright, I would’ve woke up sooner or later. What was it about?”

“Don’t worry about, nothing concerning our job.” Harry shrugged and got out of bed, walking to stretch his legs.

“So, what’s the game plan for today?” he asked, slowly becoming more and more awake.

Rafe took a seat on the desk chair, looking over at Harry. “First, we’re gonna drive to your hotel so you can pack a bag, then we’ll buy you a tux, and then off to the jet. Sound good?” He didn’t want or even need his approval, as he was telling him this is what they’re doing and the plan wasn’t changing.

“Well, I didn’t hear anything about eating and I’m starving. Other than that it’s good.”

He rolled his eyes at his partner’s comment. “Don’t worry, I have food on the plane.” Standing up, he handed Harry his motorcycle helmet that sat on top of the desk. “Ready to go?”

Nodding, they both left the hotel and went to their own vehicles. Harry pulled out first and Rafe followed and after some time they arrived at the hotel Harry was staying at. He went inside as Rafe waited in his car and took a quick shower and packed a bag. Leaving, he placed it in the trunk of Rafe’s car and afterwards he followed on the way to whatever store they were going to.

It was a long process of measuring, trying on, and getting alterations done on the spot. Both were thankful when it was finally over. Rafe took it to his car, and again they were off to his private jet.

Once there, Rafe directed people to the back of his car, allowing them to take the contents and put them on the plane. Both he and Harry handed over the keys to their vehicles, so they would be hidden in a safe location. As they boarded, Harry made the comment, “Your family really must be loaded.”

“Don’t remind me,” Rafe softly replied as they took their seats.


	8. Old Swing

Driving, Rafe kept his eyes on the road. In the passenger seat, Harry played with the radio, trying to find a station of his liking. When he found a rock station, he stopped a looked out his window. The area they were in was beautiful. They already checked into their hotel and changed into their suits, as well as dropped off the journal. In there, Harry picked up a pamphlet on Frankfurt and read it as Rafe got ready, which took some time. He made mental notes on places to check out another time, as he was already determined to visit again when not on a job.

            Looking at his watch, the event would be starting in an hour. Part of him was excited as he’s never been to anything like this before, yet on the other hand he was nervous for the exact same reason. He even told Rafe about it, to which he suggested to just stay quiet and follow his lead. It wasn’t terrible advice, but it wasn’t good either. Either way, he would follow it.

“How long until we’re there?” Harry asked.

Rafe looked over at the GPS. “I’d say about 10, 15 minutes.” The minutes went by quickly and they pasted Alte Oper to park their car.

With it being a little past 8:00 and nighttime had showed it presence, all the lights on the outside were on. People in floor-length dresses and fancy suits mingled around the entrance. All of them must’ve been waiting to go inside. It was truly a remarkable sight.

Stepping out of the car, Harry walked over to Rafe’s side and caught him checking himself out in the reflection of the car window. He couldn’t help but smile and laugh.

“What?” Rafe asked, almost offended. He kept his eyes on his reflection, fixing his hair.

“Nothing, it’s just very typical of you. And, you said yourself that this is a black-tie event and here you are wearing a white tux.”

He turned to face him. “It’s my signature tux. Besides, I’m surprised you still fit in yours after you ate everything in my plane.”

Harry shrugged. “I was hungry.”

They walked side by side to the front of the building. A waiter with a tray full of drinks walked by, telling them good evening. They both took a drink and walked over to a part that wasn’t completely crowded.

 “So here’s the plan,” Rafe whispered. “We’re gonna walk in together and stay together the entire night. I’ll do most of the talking, and you just stand there and look pretty. Clear?”

“Crystal.”

They quickly finished their drinks and left the glasses on a nearby table. When they noticed people entering the building, they followed suit.

High ceilings and chandeliers are the first things to catch Harry’s attention. The floors and walls were wooden, and the décor gave it an antique feel. He had to stop himself from gawking. If he wasn’t excited before to explore the building alongside Rafe during the performance, this sealed the deal. Who knows what they could find.

As they followed the crowd, they were led into a room with a similar look. However, it was much bigger with an open bar and waiters bringing around finger foods. Rafe brought Harry into a corner, and quietly talked to him.

“I’m gonna go talk to a few of the guests. A lot of them know me. You’re gonna come with me, and when I introduce you just say it’s a pleasure to meet you and shake their hands. If they ask what you do, just say you’re my business partner.”

“Sounds easy enough,” Harry told him. “Lead the way.”

For the next hour, Harry was shuffled between different meetings. Other than the names and faces, they were exactly the same. Rafe would go up and say hello, then the other person would shake his hand and ask how he was. He’s answer and ask the same thing back. Then they’d answer and ask who his friend was. He’d say Harry his business partner, and then Harry would shake their hands and say it was nice to meet them. Then the person and Rafe would talk while Harry stood there awkwardly. It really wasn’t any fun, but it wasn’t completely terrible either.

Now Harry waited at the bar while Rafe talked to a few other people. He checked his watch, and saw that there was 45 minutes before the show started, which is when they were going to sneak out. After finishing his second drink, Rafe came up next to him.

“Enjoying your night?” he asked.

“Well, other than the fact that your friends are boring, it’s been a pretty nice night.” Rafe couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle.

“Sorry about that, but I can’t ignore them at these functions.” He snapped and pointed at Harry’s drink, and the bartender nodded. In a few seconds, he had a drink. “Still, I do hope you’re enjoying yourself.”

“How do you know all these people anyways?”

Rafe took a sip. “I’ve been going to these things for years. Most of them know my parents actually.”

“You must’ve had a fun life with your parents then, getting to go to things like this.” Harry watched as Rafe’s mood suddenly changed.

Shrugging, he told him it was alright,

Now there was an awkward silence between them as they drank, just like on the night they first met. Harry coughed. “So, we have half an hour to kill. Any ideas?”

He shook his head, and then stood up. Looking around, he motioned for Harry follow him. They ended up in another secluded corner. “Here’s what we’re gonna do when the performance starts. We’re gonna walk in and make sure we’re in the middle of the crowd. There will be an overwhelming amount of seats, and we’re gonna chose ones in the back and near the ends. You following?” Harry nodded. “Right before the orchestra performs, all the lights will shut off. That’s are cue. We’ll run out of the room, pass through here, and go back to the hallway. From there, we’ll decide what to do.”

Before Harry could say anything, a familiar voice filled his ears. Looking over Rafe’s shoulder, he could see two people. One was an older man with a similar suit to Harry’s, and clinging to his arm was a younger, blonde woman in a floor-length dark blue dress. While trying to figure out who the man was, as that was the voice that sounded all too familiar, Rafe snapped his fingers in front of Harry’s face.

“Are you with me Harry?”

“Hm? Yea. Turn around,” he told him. Rafe gave him a confused looked, but did so anyways. Placing a hand on his shoulder, he leaned into his ear. “You see those people over there?”

“Who? Them?” He pointed to the same people Harry was looking at earlier. He nodded. “What about them?”

“Try to listen to the guy talk.”

Even though he was confused, he did as Harry said. They both took a few steps closer to listen in. Finally, the man turned his face to whisper something in the woman’s ear, and they could see his profile. “Is that…”

“Victor ‘Goddamn’ Sullivan. Of course. We can’t have a night to ourselves without having someone affiliated with Drake ruin it all.” Harry tightened his grip on Rafe’s shoulder as he noticed he was about to walk over. “Ignore him Rafe.”

“You’re right,” he sighed. “I’m just pissed because I should’ve seen it coming.” Harry released his grip, and Rafe walked back over to the bar for another drink. Deciding it was best to leave him alone, Harry went and mingled with the crowd.

Finally, it was time to enter the room where the symphony would be held. Rafe caught up with Harry, and while staying in the middle of a large crown, they made their way inside. Rafe wasn’t lying when he said the amount of seats would be overwhelming, and Harry froze at the sight of them. He felt a tug on his hand, and Rafe pulled him forward and brought him out of his trance.

True to their plan, they sat in the back near an aisle. While waiting, Harry’s eyes found Sully and his date, and followed to where they sat in the front. Even though his attendance was surprising, he didn’t think he was going to be a threat. Mainly because there was no Drake, or any of his friends, in sight. However, he could be wrong, but he didn’t want to think much of it.

They still had a few more minutes to kill before it started, and waited a few of those in silence. At one point, Harry felt a tap on his right shoulder. He turned and was met with a smiling Rafe. “Are you ready?” Before Harry could answer, the lights went out.


	9. Musical Touch

Grabbing Harry’s hand, Rafe made a dash to the doors they entered moments before. To their luck, all the waiters had left the previous room. It gave them a moment to breath.

“You could’ve warned me,” Harry told Rafe, but got no reply. Instead, Rafe pulled out his phone and motioned Harry to come closer.

“We’re here,” he pointed to the map on his phone, “in the convention room closest to the symphony hall. We need to get to the other side of the building, and back outside Next, we need to get up onto the roof. From there, we can get into that area above and climb into that. There should be a hole in the ground that has a ladder which leads underground. You go that?”

Harry gave him a confused look and shrugged. “Sounds complicated. Is there no other way underground?” Rafe shook his head. “Hm, alright. Sounds good then.”

“Then let’s go.” They made their way out of the room, making sure their footsteps were quiet. Once they make it to the long, narrow hallway, Rafe grabbed Harry’s wrist, bringing them both to a halt. “Shit.”

“Didn’t think they’d be here mate?” Harry asked, a small smirk on his lips. Rafe gave him a look, rolling his eyes as well. Gripping the wall, they both leaned forwards and saw half a dozen guards standing.

“I thought with the show going on, they would be closer to that area, not here in the halls.” His voice was practically dripping with venom, he was irritated. Again. “There’s no way we can get past them without alerting them. We need some form of distraction.”

"What about that room over there?” Harry pointed to a closed door on the left. “Even if we don’t know where it leads, it’s better than staying here and getting caught.” Rafe nodded in agreement. Taking small quiet steps, they went to the door, which was surprisingly unlocked, and went inside.

It was a small room, most likely a storage closet. There were shelves with bottles of products and mops and brooms leaned against the walls. With it being such a tight fit, their bodies were forced to press together.

“You know,” Rafe softly stated, “I think I’d rather be caught by the guards.” Harry didn’t say anything back, but he did let out a short laugh.

“So what’s our next move?”

Looking around the room, Rafe came up with a plan. To distract the guards, they would take the bottles from this room and throw them in the opposite direction. If it works like it’s supposed to, then half of the guards should go check it out.

“But what about the remaining other half?” Harry asked.

“I don’t know to be quite honest. I guess our best bet is to outrun them and hope they don’t think anything of it.” They both were silent now, knowing what they should do.

While Harry gathered up a few of the bottles that lined the walls, Rafe put his hand on the doorknob. In a swift motion, Rafe opened the door and Harry threw each bottle one by one. When the last one was thrown, Rafe closed the door leaving only a crack open. They both watched as all the guards went over in the direction of the noise.

“Isn’t it just our lucky day,” Harry jested. They ran out of the room, kicking a few items out of their way, and ran down the hall. Taking the lead, Rafe took a right down another hallway and ran out the door. Harry followed and soon they were outside once more.

It was completely nightfall now, and the lights for the Alte Oper were shining bright. There were no people outside, it was completely barren. “Wait a moment,” he said and Rafe turned to look at him. “If we needed to get to the roof from the outside, then why did we have to show up at all? Couldn’t we-”

“Because Harry,” he interrupted, “we needed to establish an alibi. This way, people would have no idea it was us. And if they find us inside a restricted area, they won’t think we’re thieves, just lost guest.” He continued to walk around the building to the back, muttering something under his breath. Harry knew it was something directed at him, but he decided not to say anything. Instead he followed, making sure to keep his distance.

Behind the building, they both looked up to their destination. However, there was no way up there. “Now what?” Harry questioned.

“Come here, I’m gonna boost you up to that ledge.” Reluctantly, he agreed. Stepping onto Rafe’s hand, he just barely grabbed the ledge and pulled himself up. It wasn’t big, and he was surprised that he was able to stand on it. He leaned down, and extended his hand to Rafe, pulling him up also.

"You’re heavier than you look Rafe,” he tried to joke but got nothing. Gripping onto the wall, they gradually moved toward an exposed pipe. It extended up to a large area just behind the roof. The rain from earlier made everything slippery, and induced fear in both of them. Reaching and grabbing the poll, Harry carefully went up first. His grip continued to slip, but somehow he made it up, and the same can be said for Rafe.

It was obvious that unless you were a maintenance worker, you weren’t meant to be up here. It reminded Harry of the Istanbul museum rooftops. There were machines for ventilation, and small pillars and railing to hide them. Metal bars also surrounded the area. However, while the view was nice, it made him sick. He was never a huge fan of heights.

“Harry, come on.” Rafe lightly shoved his shoulder, bringing him out of his trance. He didn’t move however, and Rafe noticed. “Harry. Now.” He opened his mouth to say something, but decided against it and followed his orders.

When they looked up, they could see the countless windows that lined the area up top. Below one, there was a small ladder that must’ve been left there from a previous night. Immanently, Rafe began to climb up as Harry waited at the bottom, wanting to keep his distance for now. A loud crash was then heard, and he saw glass falling to where he stood. He looked up, and saw Rafe climbing into the now open, but broken, window. He knew that was his cue to climb up.

“Did you punch it or kick it?” Harry asked, squeezing himself through the small opening. Rafe showed him his hand, which showed no injuries, implying he kicked it. Now both stood in the small area above the building. “Now what?”

Rafe walked towards the middle, motioning for Harry to follow. There was a circular covering on the floor, and Rafe moved it revealing an opening with a ladder that lead downward. “At the bottom is an underground tunnel system, which can get us anywhere in the building quickly. All you need to do is follow me. Be quiet though, there might be a guard or two.” With that, Rafe began to descend down the ladder, and Harry followed.

The area below was stuffy and uncomfortably warm. There was no ventilation down there as well, so the air was sticky too. Overall, this isn’t an area that people must go to willingly, only when they have to get from point A to point B in a hurry.

"So how exactly does this underground tunnel work?” Harry asked, following Rafe as they both walked.

“There are certain area’s that aren’t normally open to the public,” he explained, “and there isn’t a direct path to them. Instead, you have to go through all these twist and turns and even security checks to get through. A real waste a time. These underground tunnels are used to get employees and even VIP guest to the destination quick and easily. There is a shorter route to get here, but where’s the fun in that?” He smirked. ”

“Oh. That makes sense. Hey, don’t you ever think it’s weird that so many of these buildings have an underground and secret passage way?”

"Yes, and very convenient I might add, but I don’t really question these things.” The rest of the trip was silent, mainly because Rafe kept checking his phone to make sure they were going the right way. Every way looked exactly the same, so it wouldn’t be hard to get lost.

Finally, they arrived at a closed door. It wasn’t locked, and both entered and walked up the stairs that were behind it. They then were met with a passage that led to a seemingly dead end. Without a thought, Rafe pulled the switch and an entryway opened. Walking in, they were in a room resembling a study.

“Fancy, “Harry commented. “What’s this room for anyways?”

Rafe shrugged. “I honestly have no idea. I’ve never been in this room. My guess is it’s waiting room where guest can mingle with one another. Kinda like the room we were in before, just more intimate.”   

“Doesn’t explain the secret passage though.” Harry walked over to a bookshelf, looking at the books.”

“Sometimes you need a quick getaway when you’re engaging in illegal activity,” Rafe reminded him.

Harry nodded. “Now, what are we doing here?”

“So full of questions, aren’t you Harry? Pull that green book right there. That should answer your question.” Doing as he was told, he pulled the book and found out it was a switch. Over in the other corner, Rafe pulled down a painting and revealed a safe behind it. It opened. “Satisfied?”

“Oh, very love.” Inside was some money and gems, as well as some crystals and jewelry. Once Harry walked over, they both place the items in every available pocket.  

“It’s not a lot,” Rafe said, “but it’s better than nothing.” When it was finally empty, he shut it and placed the painting back over it. “There’s actually one of these is most rooms. Maybe you and I can come back one day and ransack the place.”

“Would we get to see the show beforehand thought? Or after” Harry joked.

A small smile appeared on Rafe’s lips. “We’ll see.”

As they made their way over to the secret passage, they could hear the door opening and another familiar voice filled their ears.


	10. Get Out Alive

“I’m telling ya Sam, I saw them.” Sully and his female companion stepped into the room. He was on his phone.

Both Harry and Rafe’s eyes were wide with fear, and their hearts were pounding. It was just their luck that this would’ve happened. With the secret passage still open, they both quickly entered it and Rafe pulled the switch once more to shut it.

Breathing heavy, Harry looked over at his partner. “That was a close one mate.”

Rafe nodded, but he also put a finger to his lips, telling Harry to be quiet. Putting his ear up to the wall, he could hear Sully’s faint voice. He motioned for Harry to follow suit, and now both were listening in on the conversation.

"No I didn’t talk to them, why would I?” There was a long pause. “Why would I know why they’re here?” Another pause. “I know Sam, I know.” One more pause. “Look Sam, I gotta go. I’ll try to figure out why they’re here but I can’t promise you anything.”

They both stood still, debating on whether or not to leave just yet. However, when they heard the female voice speak up, they decided to stay.

“Who were those men anyways?” She asked, her British accent think.

“Just some low-life thieves,” Sully told her. “We don’t need to worry about them. Now let’s look for that safe.” That comment made them both smile, knowing they emptied it just moments before.

Rafe pulled on Harry’s hand. “We need to go. Come on.” Seeing as they didn’t have a reason to run, they took their time walking back. However, both were silent, a common thing between them they both noted.

“So,” Harry broke the silence, “are we heading to the hotel after this?”

Rafe nodded. “There’s a passage that leads directly to the entrance. I just don’t remember which one, and I can’t check the map.” Harry raised an eyebrow at the comment. “My phone’s dead.”

“Oh.” Harry put both hands in his pockets, casually looking around. Part of him wished that he and Rafe were on friendlier terms for multiple reason, but at the same time he enjoyed what they already had. It was a weird feeling and one he really couldn’t explain. He only wondered if Rafe had a similar feeling.

“Are you okay?” Rafe asked, pulling Harry out of his trance. “You seem a little dazed.”

“I’m just thinking, that’s all.” He reassured him.

“About me?” He joked, giving a small smile.

Harry returned the smile, but didn’t say anything. This was exactly what he meant. There were times where the Rafe like this showed. The one that joked around, checking to make sure he was okay, and just overall acted like a decent human being. Then there was the other one. The one that had no patience, too sardonic for his own good, and almost shot Chloe to “warn” her and Sam. It frightened Harry, but he tried not to think of that too often. It would do him no good to do so.

It wasn’t long when they reached a door that both thought would lead to the entrance of the Alte Oper. Just as the last on did, it took them through a short tunnel that led to a door that could only be opened by a switch. Harry pulled it in an instant, and they were shown a plain room. Stepping inside, they quickly walked over to the door on the other side and was met with a frightening sight.

Multiple guards in black uniforms surrounded the entryway, pointing their guns at the two men. They were frozen in fear at the sight.

"Did you really think you could get away with this?” one of the guards asked.

“How stupid of you guys to think that there aren’t cameras all over the place,” another one told them. “We watched your every move.”

Neither of them dared to moved. Harry glanced over at Rafe, only to see his eyes looking down at the ground. The thought of there being cameras slipped his mind, and most definitely slipped the mind of Rafe.

“Now, there are two ways we can go about this,” said a different guard. He had to have been the head of them, seeing as he wore a slightly different outfit than the others. His was white. He walked over to the both of, getting too close for comfort. “You can give us back the items you stole, and you’ll be charged for your crimes.” Harry gulped at the thought. “Or, we can kill you and take the items from your corpses.” His eyes widened at the thought.

Without thinking, Harry grabbed Rafe’s hand and started running. While he wanted to make it out, his goal right now was to lose the guards. Both could hear their yells and jumbled steps behind them, but it only made Harry run faster as he practically dragged Rafe along behind him. He didn’t know what was running through Rafe’s mind, only that it must’ve been affecting him a great deal.

After what seemed like circling the building a thousand times, they finally made it outside. It was raining. He couldn’t hear the guards behind them, but that didn’t calm him. He knew they were still following him; they were probably coming up with a plan of attack. Harry knew he needed to come up with one too. However, without the key to the car, they were stranded. Rafe had it, and Harry didn’t want to violate him by fishing his own hands in his pockets to find them.

“Rafe? Rafe?” he lightly shook him by the shoulders, trying to bring him out of his trance. “Rafe, I need the keys to the car. We need to get out of here.” He got nothing, Rafe only stared at the ground. Grabbing his face, Harry brought his own close to his. They locked eyes. “Rafe, I need the keys. Please.”

Suddenly, Rafe snapped back and placed his one hand in his pocketed, fumbling for the keys. However, he came out empty handed. “They’re not there,” Rafe softly stated. Panicking, he started fishing through all his pockets, only to come out with nothing. “Where the hell are they?” Harry even checked his own even though he knew they wouldn’t be there. “Shit, they must’ve fallen out somewhere.”

“Or that guard took them,” Harry told him. That must’ve been why he got so close, he didn’t want them to escape. “What are we gonna do?” he asked distressed. Neither wanted to go to jail, or worse… killed.

“I would say run, but we wouldn’t get far.” he told him. In that instance, multiple voices filled their ears. Not only did guards come out of the Alte Oper, but police surrounded them from the streets as well. Guns were once again pointed at them.

“Are you guys gonna come willingly? Or are we gonna have to use some force? Our patience is wearing thin.”

“Sorry mates, it just doesn’t work like that,” Harry told them. Just about every guard became red from anger. In that moment, Harry ran over to one of the guards who was seated on a motorcycle, and roughly pushed him off. A few shots were fired at him, but they missed. He called Rafe over, and he ran. Taking a seat, Harry rev the bike and Rafe quickly took a seat behind him, wrapping his arms tightly around him.

They were off in a moment, with shots being fired behind him. With no weapons to defend themselves, the only thing they could do was drive and fast. Harry maneuvered through the traffic, and so did the ones behind them. He had no idea where he was going, and in all honesty it didn’t matter. He had to get away, and find somewhere safe. Part of him wanted to attempt to drive to the hotel they were staying at, but would it be safe? It was outside of town. Still, he didn’t want to be followed. That wouldn’t end well.  

During the entire ordeal, Harry could’ve sworn he was about to meet his fate many times. After one of the sharp turns, he was met with a group of officers, which he drove straight through. Shots were being fired behind them throughout the entire thing, and one even grazed Harry shoulder. Due to how fast he was driving and the rain, he’d almost crashed numerous times. However, after what seemed like hours, the officers finally lost sight and whereabouts of them. They were free.

Rafe was silent the entire time.

Taking it slow, Harry took his time going back to the hotel. He knew both of them needed to catch their bearings. Besides, he was slightly lost. He asked Rafe for help, but got no response. After driving around for some time, he got some idea of where he was at and finally found his way to the hotel.

He didn’t dare park near the building with the vehicle he was on, that would be a death sentence. Instead, he circled around the city and dropped the motorcycle off in a dark and empty alleyway. As both began walking the short journey to the hotel, Harry took off his suit jacket and held it above the duo as they stood closely together. While they were already wet, it was the thought that counted.


	11. Broken Code

Rafe had changed out of his suit and lying on the bed when Harry came out of the bathroom. Neither had said a word from the moment they got to their hotel, soaking wet because of the rain. Each were annoyed with the situation, and it was affecting them each differently. However, it seems to be affecting Rafe the most. It always seems he took things harder, which was something Harry noticed. In a way it worried him.

He didn’t know what to do. Part of him wanted to talk to Rafe, check to see if he was okay. Yet, another part of him knew not too. Sometimes silence is good, and it helps more than talking.

Trusting his gut feeling, he walked over and took a seat on the bed. “Rafe?” His voice was soft, trying to be comforting.

Rafe slowly opened his eyes, and turned his head to look at his partner. “What?”

“I just wanted to check up on you,” he told him. “You know, because of tonight’s events.”

Letting out a groan, he sat up. “It’s fine. We’re alive, and we still have the loot.” It took him a moment, but he got off the bed to stretch his legs.

“What are we gonna do about the car?” Harry asked. In the heat of the moment, they had to leave the car behind. They had no other choice.

Rafe waved it off. “I already called a guy to pick it up. We don’t need to worry about it.” He walked over to the desk to look at his charging phone. That’s when Harry knew the conversation was over.

The two sat in silence as the time went by. While there was more they needed to discuss, this wasn’t the time to do so. They let their minds wander, and they attempted to relax. However, a knock at the door brought them both back. Rafe walked over to it, and Harry peered over to see who it was. It was Rafe’s contact. He watched as the man handed something over to Rafe, who only gave a nod in return.

After shutting the door, he returned and took a seat on the bed next to his partner.

“Was he able to decode it?” Harry asked. This was the only reason they were in Germany, and after the events they needed something good. They deserved something good.

“It took him some time, but he was able to. He told me it was most likely the man’s diary, and that we would be most interested in the final pages.” He quickly flipped to them, and began reading them aloud. “Thieves will be thieves, and there is no honor among them. Someone has ratted us out, and now he’s after us. They’re all after us. Everything had to be moved to that abandoned island in Italy. I don’t remember its name, but that doesn’t matter. I’ll be dead in a matter of moments. Hopefully the island’s reputation will keep others far away.” Rafe put the journal down. He was done.

“So they moved everything to Italy? That’s quite a trip,” Harry noted. “But what’s this island they’re speaking of?” He knew that there were many Italian islands, he’d been to a few, but never one that was abandoned.

Rafe stood up and walked over to the desk where his phone sat. Picking it up, he quickly began searching the islands. “I have a hunch I know which island the person was writing about. I don’t remember its name though.”

Harry stayed seated on the bed, looking over Rafe with careful eyes. While he was glad he was becoming his normal self again, there was something about him that seemed off. However, he tried to play it off that he was tired. They both were in fact. Maybe I care too much about him Harry thought to himself.  He brought his gaze away and stared blankly at the wall as Rafe continued to search for this island.

“Just as I thought,” his voice broke through the surrounding silence. “It’s Poveglia, an island near Venice. Unlike Skellig Michael, this isn’t open to the general public. It’s the perfect place to hide that alleged amount of treasure.”

Harry shifted his view to look at him once more, cocking his eyebrow in question. “Why’s it closed off to everyone?”

“It was once a checkpoint for the people and goods coming in and out of Venice,” he explained. “One ship carried a plague and the rest of it is history.”

“Oh.”

Nothing else was said. Both knew what needed to be done. Taking charge as he always does, Rafe left the room to make a phone call.

~~~~~~~~

His name is Derick, the man who helps Rafe. While sitting in his car, he too was making a phone call. A grin grew on his face. He knew what he was doing could result in his death, but money is money You go to whoever pays you most in this business. That’s just how it is.

“Yea, I gave it back to him. I couldn’t just keep it. Then he would know something was up.”

“Just tell me where we’re heading next,” the voice on the other side said. “Chloe is itching to leave.”

“Really Sam? Or is it you?” Derick attempted to joke, but got no response. He let out an awkward cough. “Anyways you’ll be heading to Poveglia. It’s in Italy.”

“And Rafe knows this?”

“Not exactly. It doesn’t state its location in the journal. It only hinted at it. However, it probably won’t take him long to figure out. You two need to get there as soon as possible.”

“Anything else we need to know?”

“I did some research on the island and it’s not a pretty sight. It’s abandoned, but that’s the least of your worries. A lot of people think it’s haunted.”

“Haunted?” Sam said in disbelief.

“Yes, haunted. Through the plague and terrible conditions on the island, at least 100,000 people died. Everywhere you look you’ll find piles upon piles of bones.”

“Huh.”

“Just be careful. I know you both have a lot riding on this.”

“We will. Just let me know if you find anything else,” Sam told him.

“Will do.” And with that he hung up. He sat there for a moment before starting his car, leaving the hotel. Deep down he knew this wouldn’t end well for him. The moment Rafe and his friend saw Sam and Chloe on that island, they would know exactly who told them. It would only take a matter of time.


	12. Another Island

After a long boat ride, Harry and Rafe finally arrived at Poveglia. A heavy fog surrounded the decrepit land, worn out buildings covered in a black soot and vines inhabiting it. Some buildings even had been colored with graffiti. Thin grass covered the area, and where it didn’t lay, dirt took its place. The only thing that seemed intact was lighthouse standing high in the sky.

“Spooky. Kinda reminds you something out of Silent Hill doesn’t it?” Harry attempted to joke, but only got a confused look from his partner.

“What?” Rafe asked as he pulled out a few supplies from a chest on the back of the boat. They didn’t have time or jokes he thought to himself. He wanted to get the treasure and leave as fast as they possibly can.

“You know, the video game? Or movie if you prefer?” It was obvious the joking comparison was lost on him, or maybe he was just choosing to ignore it. It didn’t matter as they both waved it off, continuing further onto the island.

Even in the disturbing manor it was left in, it truly was a sight to see. The fact that it was said to be haunted left something to be desired. While neither wanted to deal with some form of supernatural or paranormal entities, it didn’t stop the morbid curiosity. Yet, it was another story it either of them believed the stories they’ve read while doing their research. However, it would be a lie for them both to say the island didn’t scare them in some way.

“What do you think we’ll find here?” Harry asked, stepping over what seemed to be eroding bones.

“The treasure hopefully,” Rafe told him. He pulled out his flashlight, shinning it into the darkness. To avoid anyone who could’ve seen them, they came during the night. It didn’t help the small paranoia each had nevertheless. In fact, it worsened it. Sometimes they both swore they saw someone in the distance, or heard footsteps behind them. “But other than that, I don’t know. To be honest, I don’t wanna think about anything other than the treasure.”

Harry nodded in agreement. “I know what you mean, but that’s practically impossible. Knowing that some form of horror happened here, and seeing the bones scattered around. It just sends chills down my spine. I don’t know how you can be so calm.”

A small smile appeared on Rafe’s face, but left almost instantly. It was an illusion, a bold front. Deep down he was truly scared, but it was for more reasons other than this island. They were reasons only for him to know.

They reached a torn down building with its name on a sign that they didn’t bother to read. With Rafe in front, they both entered making sure to tread carefully. Even with the island being completely abandoned, items still remained. Every once in a while they would find a bed with stained sheets, a few chairs covered in debris, and one room contained a teddy bear that was falling apart. There were more rooms above, but neither of them trusted the staircase enough to take them.

“I have a theory, care to hear it love?” Harry chimed in breaking the silence.  

“Tell me,” Rafe replied as they left the building.

“Assuming what we’re looking for is definitely on this island, I don’t think it’s such a smart idea to just check every building we come upon. It just doesn’t seem plausible that the treasures would just be lying in some old building, especially considering they were moved here with the island being in a similar state.”

“You’re not wrong,” Rafe interjected. “So what do you propose?”

“The lighthouse.” Rafe gave his partner a confused look. “I know the treasures won’t be in there, but something has to be in there. Like a map or another journal.”

Rafe nodded. “I can’t believe I didn’t think of that.” He shined the flashlight towards the sky, moving it to find where the lighthouse stood. “It’s north of here. Let’s get moving.”

What the two didn’t know as they were leaving was that two ears had listened to their entire conversation while shrouded in the shadows. They too began the walk to the lighthouse, hoping to get to it faster.

Both Rafe and Harry felt anxious, feeling as if there was someone following their every move. It was only getting worse the longer they were on the island. Trees hung low, occasionally brushing against them. They even found one of the infamous plague pits, which only made them sick. Both wanted to leave, but they knew they couldn’t. They’ve come too far to just give up now.

Finally, they reached their destination, trying to figure out what to do next.

“It used to be a bell-tower,” Rafe told Harry. “Now it’s used as a lighthouse. So, what exactly is your plan for this?” He didn’t doubt his partner’s abilities, which is something unusual for Rafe. He knew Harry wouldn’t purposely lead them astray, and his idea was better than just aimlessly searching around the broken buildings. All he needed to do now is follow through.

“I did some research too, and apparently this was one of the more important buildings. It would surprise me if someone didn’t leave any important clues or whatever to where the treasure is. All we have to do is find it.”

“Then lead the way.”

With their flashlights in hand and guns clung to their sides, they entered the structure that stood beside. They knew better than to just search the bell-tower, it was highly unlikely it, whatever they were looking for, was just sitting there. From here, they decided to search the rooms on the ground floor, and they knew better than to spilt up. Each room was about the same. A hole in the wall, discolored flooring, vines wrapping in from the outdoors. Papers they found scattered around were meaningless.

Harry let out a heavy sigh. “I really don’t wanna go upstairs. I don’t trust these stairs.”

“Luckily you won’t have too.” Both jumped at the sound of the person’s voice, as it wasn’t one of theirs. Chloe. Turning around, they were met with the faces of Chloe and Sam.

“How the hell did you two find out about this?” Rafe angrily asked. His voice was brash and punitive, and his eyes were wide. He was fucking pissed. How could this happen? It was impossible they just stumbled on the same island by mistake, just impossible.

“Let’s just say a little birdie told us where to go,” Sam said. He was smirking, holding something in his hand. However, it was hidden from view.

Rafe turned to Harry for a moment, furious. Taking a step back and putting his arms up in defense, Harry told him he had nothing to do with this. Why would you even think that he thought to himself.

“Listen to him,” Chloe said. “Besides, it doesn’t matter. We were just leaving.”

Rafe pulled his gun out from his holster, aiming it at the two. “You’re not going anywhere. What’s in your hand Sam? Don’t make me ask twice.”

Sam handed whatever he was holding to Chloe. “Nothing.”

The sound of a gunshot filled everyone’s ears, and Sam went down. He held his arm, blood staining his shirt and running down his fingers.

“Rafe, put the gun down,” Harry demanded as he stepped up towards him. All he got was the gun pointed in his face, stopping him dead in his tracks.

“Shut up Harry. Now Chloe, what’s in your hand?” He slowly moved the gun towards her as waited for her answer. “I don’t like to be kept waiting.”

“It’s just a notebook we found in an upstairs office,” she admitted. “We don’t even know if it worth reading.”

“Now I think we all know that’s a lie,” Rafe scoffed. “Hand it over.”  She didn’t, and only walked over to a wounded Sam, trying to help him to his feet. Rafe let out a small chuckle. “You’re going to waste your time with that deadbeat? I’m the one pointing a gun to your head,” he reminded her. He fired another shot, but it missed its target as Harry tried to push the gun out of his grip. It started Chloe, causing her to drop the notebook. In a quick motion, Harry ran and picked it up. He ran away with Rafe following behind him.

There was nowhere safe on the island. There was nowhere to hide. All they could do was buy themselves some time.  After running for what felt like an eternity, they took shelter in a building that was hidden from view by the trees. As Harry took a seat on the dirty ground, Rafe grabbed the notebook out of his hand.

“What the hell was that shit you pulled back there?” Harry asked, matching the tone of Rafe just earlier. Rafe didn’t say a word as he read through the pages. “Don’t ignore me.”

“I couldn’t let them get in the way,” Rafe told him. He kept his eyes glued to the pages.

“You didn’t have to shoot Sam.” Rafe finally looked at Harry only to roll his eyes. Getting up, Harry took the notebook from Rafe and threw it across from where they stood.

Rafe shoved him, but Harry didn’t budge. “What the fuck was that for?”

“You’re letting this treasure hunting go to your head,” he told him. “You need to calm down.”

“Calm down? I think you need to watch your tone!” He practically yelled at him. He got up in his face. “I’m doing this for us Harry! For us!”

“And I’m grateful for that. I really am. But is it worth it?” Even though he was taller than Rafe, he felt like he was withering beneath him. The way his word were cutting at him at every angle, the ways his eyes look, the way he was standing.

Taking a step back, he rolled his eyes at his partner. “I don’t have time for this. You’re either with me or against me. Make the right choice.” He walked away and picked up the notebook, flipping through the pages once more.

There was a long silence wrapping around them. Other than the wind and the turning of the pages, no voices could be heard.

“They’re in the fort aren’t they?” Harry asked breaking the silence. Rafe only nodded while putting the notebook on a broken counter. “Then that’s our final stop.”

They looked at one another and left, taking that as their apologies.


	13. The Octagonal Fort

They ran as if their lives depended on it. They needed to get there first, they just had to. If Sam and Chloe got to the fort first, who knows what would happen.

Hanging, broken branches hit them and their feet almost tripped over fallen ones. Every step they took could be heard, their shoes making indentations in the grass. Sometimes they swore they heard people behind them, but it didn’t matter. They couldn’t be bothered to check; it would just be a waste of time.

Soon enough, Rafe and Harry reached their boat. However, as they quickly hopped on, another boat slowed near them. Aboard it was Sam and Chloe, and even though it was dark both knew there were smirks on their faces.

“Slow and steady doesn’t always win the race,” Chloe told them, her voice cynical. “You both should’ve seen this from the start.”

Rafe’s face crinkled in anger, his hand reaching for his gun. He wasn’t going to kill them even if part of him wanted to. Not yet at least. Instead, he shot four bullets toward them, each just barely missing. All but Rafe was startled by the noise. The other two drove away as Harry pushed his partner.

“Why in the hell do you always revert to your gun? You know it never helps,” he all but yelled at him. It was baffling to him that he would throw all their hard work away with the shots of his gun. Harry learned a lesson years ago: there’s no glory with death. Maybe Rafe needed to learn that he thought to himself.

Rafe ignored him, only putting his gun back in his holster. He hurriedly untied the boat from where it was tied, and started it up. He had one goal in mind: get there before Chloe and Sam no matter what. However, the boat only went so fast and the rapid waves weren’t making things better. Still, they caught up to them and without a second thought Rafe rammed their boat into theirs. Screams could be heard.

“What the hell!” Harry exclaimed, holding on the side railings.

“Look,” Rafe finally spoke, “it’s them or us. If they get there first we’re done for. You want all our hard work to be for nothing?”

Before Harry could answer, shots were fired at them causing them both to jump. It was obvious who they were from, which caused Harry to hesitate as he reached for his gun. He knew Rafe was right to a degree, they needed to get their first. But was killing, or at least almost killing, the others worth it? Sure, all of them were thieves, and it was all for one and one for all to an extent. Yet, was murder worth it? Years ago he wouldn’t have questioned it and possibly done it in a heartbeat. That was then and this is now. While he wasn’t a completely changed man, there were a few things about him that were different. Was this one of them?

The thought didn’t matter anymore as the boat was coming to a stop. The fort was right in front of them. Surprisingly, they beat the other two but that wouldn’t last long. In a haste, Rafe tied the line and grabbed Harry by the wrist.

“We need to get going,” he told him. “There’s no time to waste.”

On the top of eight walls, the area was covered in grass and small ruins. It was nothing major, nothing special. In fact, it looking boring, almost worthless. Yet, that made it the perfect place to hide the Irish Crown Jewels among other things.

It was obvious that it wouldn’t just be laying in plain sight, that wouldn’t make any sense. They were underground, they had to be. How else could it be hidden? There had to be a switch or a lever somewhere. All the needed to do was find it and fast.

“If I know anything,” Harry chimed in to break their silence, “what we need is in the middle. It always is.”

“Let’s hope you’re right.” They heard light footsteps behind them, which made them realize just how close they were. However, close to winning or failing was yet to be known. It would be shown soon enough.

In the middle on the ground was a giant concrete square, numbers written on the side. While neither of them knew what it meant, it had to be important. That’s just how these things worked. Yet, running short on time gave them no time to think, they just had to do. The situation though made that almost impossible because they didn’t know what to do.

The numbers weren’t in any form of order and were different all around. Some even had a symbol above them. When stepped upon, they sank into the ground. However, they came back up in a matter of seconds. That’s all they had to go on.

“I’m at a lost,” Harry admitted. The numbers weren’t adding up and the symbols made no sense. They were running short on time, and he could’ve sworn he heard the voices of the other two coming close.

“I remember something in that journal about this, but I can’t remember it exactly,” Rafe told him. “I just know it has something to do with those symbols. Having a symbol means they’re important.”

The symbols above the numbers were simple. Circles, triangles, squares, pentagons, and octagons. There was a total of 24 numbers with the symbols above them. Both knew there had to be some form of pattern. So what was it?

Then it clicked in Harry’s head. “They’re prime. The numbers with symbols above them are prime.” Rafe cocked an eyebrow at him, a confused look on his face. “Trust me, I’m sure. Math was my best subject.”

“That’s not a lot to go on,” Rafe stated. Harry only chuckled.

“Actually that’s all we need to know. I did something like this in grade school. You need to press the numbers in order but be mindful of the symbols above them.” Rafe only looked lost, the words going above his head. “Just let me handle it,” Harry told him.

Harry went forward and began solving the puzzle, while Rafe turned around. There was only one entrance, and he knew Chloe and Sam weren’t that far behind. In fact, he was confused on why they weren’t here now. It didn’t seem possible that they were this far behind, and it seemed as if they were purposely waiting behind. Then again, the fort was huge. Maybe they were just on another point of it.

Soon enough, the voice of Harry filled his ears. “Come on love, let’s go.” Quickly turning around, he ran towards the new opening in the ground, going down the stairs two at a time. In the distance he heard the voices of the other two. It was only a matter of time.

Pulling their flashlights out, they continued through the dark pathway. It was one way only, and awkwardly too narrow. It felt like the walls were closing in on them. As they got further inward, full-body skeletons began to line the walls.

“That’s appealing,” Harry joked.

Finally, they reached the end and were faced with two doors. One had numbers above while the other had symbols above. Now which one do they choose?

“Did you ever do a puzzle like this in grade school?” Rafe asked. Harry only shook his head. “We don’t have much time,” he reminded him.

It was obvious that one was the correct door while the other was a trap. Now which was which? Harry continued looking at it, trying to find a clue. The numbers above the one door were still prime and in chronological order, while the symbols looked random. But his gut feelings told him the number door that was correct.

“Harry, just pick one!” Rafe screamed. He didn’t have to turn around to realize what was pissing Rafe off, he heard the voices.

Choosing his gut, he opened the symbol door and ran inside. Rafe followed, and shortly thereafter did Sam and Chloe.

“Oh my god,” Sam said.

 


	14. The Treasure Room

The room was something out of a storybook. Multiple chest were lingered around the room, the walls lined with paintings and tapestries, and the occasional display was placed. Candles were placed about, somehow lit. It would take multiple trips to get everything out, but nobody had that time.

“This is truly remarkable,” Chloe simply stated. “To bad you two will have nothing of it.” She pointed her gun at the back of Harry’s head, while Sam did the same to Rafe. “Now how about you two boys go back the way we came and let the real treasure hunters to their work?” The comment only caused Rafe to chuckle.

“That’s funny. If anything, Harry and I are the real ones here. You two wouldn’t have gotten this far without us.” In a swift motion, his one hand grabbed the gun pointed at him while he elbowed Sam in the gut. He now pointed it a Chloe, who moved hers to point at him as well. “So maybe you two should leave.”

Harry took this as an opportunity to turn around, grabbing his gun as well. He kept his pointed at Sam however.

“Listen Rafe,” Sam said while standing up. His eyes were glued to the gun in Harry’s hand. “just go. We’re the good guys and you’re the villains. There’s no way you’re gonna win this.” A gunshot was heard as Rafe fired at Chloe, missing. She didn’t miss however, and a bullet went into Rafe’s arm. He groaned in pain, grabbing his arm. Blood dripped through his fingers.

With Harry now distracted by the injured Rafe, Sam and Chloe took this as an opportunity to attack. Punches and kicks were thrown at Harry, who did his best to fight back. Thuds, grunts, and panting could be heard as they fought. Even with his arm, Rafe knew he couldn’t let Harry flight alone, and he joined. It hurt, but at least they weren’t ganging up on him anymore.

At one point, Sam all but threw Harry onto a display case. His body hurt, and it took him a moment to open his eyes upon impact. However, his eyes went wide when he noticed what was inside it. The Irish Crown Jewels. The item that started it all. It was to be their ticket to fame, but that honestly didn’t matter anymore. As long as they were able to get them, they would consider this adventure worth it. He just needed to find out how.

Sam pulled Harry of the case and threw him onto the wall. He had picked up his gun earlier, and now pointed it to the side of head. “Now, I can continue to beat the crap out of you or you and Rafe can leave. What will it be?”

Harry spit a mixture of blood and saliva onto his face. Before Sam could shoot, Rafe ran towards him and tackled him to the ground. Harry knew this was his chance, and he ran towards the case. It wasn’t locked, and he opened it. He wanted to take a moment to admire the jewels, but he knew there wasn’t time for that. He quickly shoved them into the pockets of his jacket. Before he could close the case, Chloe pulled him by the arm and threw him to the ground.

He noticed Sam was standing, and he watched helplessly as he kicked Rafe in the side who was lying next to him. He was bloody. In fact, they all were bloody. Gun were again pointed at them. This was becoming all too common.

“You know, we didn’t want to have to kill you two,” Chloe told them. “But you’re making it hard not to. This is your last warning.”

The two didn’t say anything. Harry wanted to tell Rafe he had the jewels in his pocket, that they could just leave and all would be well. But he couldn’t find the words to speak. They simply turned to heads to look at one another. Rafe only smiled at him.

Rafe pulled his own gun and shot it at a candle sitting on the wall. It fell, and its flame hit the tapestry next to it. It erupted into flames, and they were spreading quickly. Everyone’s eyes went wide.

“We need to get out of here,” Sam told Chloe as he grabbed his wrist. “These treasures aren’t worth dying for. Not for us.” He pulled her towards the door, not looking back at the other two who laid on the ground, slowly getting up.

The door slammed shut and Rafe and Harry were alone in the burning room. Flames were everywhere, and everything was turning black. They would be next if they didn’t leave now. When both were on their feet, Harry started towards the door while Rafe only stared at the flames.

Harry let out a heavy breath and went back over to Rafe, grabbing his shoulder. “We need to get going. Now,” he told him. Rafe looked at him but then back at the flames.

“Everything’s going to be destroyed and turned to ashes.”

They didn’t have any more time to waste, and without another word Harry grabbed Rafe’s hand and started towards the door. It took a few tries to open, but when it finally did they stepped out and closed the door. They needed the flames to be suffocated. They couldn’t afford the whole fort subsuming to the flames. After that they began running, the faint scent of smoke in the air.

This entire time Harry had forgotten about the jewels in his pocket.

They were surprised when they saw their boat still standing. Both thought Sam and Chloe would’ve done something to it. Then again, what would be the point of that? They probably thought the two would’ve died in the flames because their greed and desire to be better than Nathan Drake would come over them. Luckily that didn’t happen.

They boarded the boat, and this time Harry took the wheel. Both were tired, but Rafe needed a break, the pain almost becoming too much for him. They left shortly thereafter.

“We need to get you to a doctor,” Harry told as he noticed the way Rafe was holding his side. “I probably need to see one too.”

It took a few moments, but Rafe finally spoke up. “I have a private doctor we can see. She knows better than to ask about matters such as this.” Harry nodded, and they traveled the rest of the journey in silence.

At one point, he remembered the jewels in his pocket. He was about to speak up about them, but he noticed that Rafe had fallen asleep. There was no point in waking him up. It would just have to wait until later.


	15. The Aftermath

After their visit to Rafe’s private doctor, he and Harry were covered in bandages and the occasional stitches. Nothing was broken or ruptured, and all she prescribed them was pain killers and multiple days of rest. It was something they needed. They took a cab to Rafe’s apartment, and slept for hours upon hours.

When they both finally awoken, they didn’t know what to do. Neither knew what to say to each other. There wasn’t any more business to discuss as of now. It was done. Everything was done.

Harry took a seat at the kitchen table and Rafe brought him over a mug full a coffee. He stood on the other side of the table, his phone sitting on the top. “I’m going to call my guy later so he can bring over my car and your motorcycle.”

  “Thanks,” was all Harry said. He took a sip of his coffee. He felt like he was forgetting something, but he couldn’t remember what. Hopefully it would come in time. He didn’t enjoy the silence surround them, it made everything feel strained. “So, how you feeling?”

“Like shit,” Rafe admitted. “But the sleep and the pills helped a bit.”

A small smile formed on Harry’s lips. “That’s good, and I know exactly how you feel. I wasn’t asking about that though.” Rafe cocked an eyebrow as he drank his coffee. “I meant about the job.”

“Oh… I mean, it wasn’t a complete failure. We did discover that there really was an organization of thieves who hid all their stuff in the same place. And I bet if I hadn’t caused the entire place to be set on fire we would’ve found the Irish Crown Jewels. Besides th-”

Before Rafe could finish speaking Harry got out of his seat and ran back to Rafe’s bedroom. He finally remembered what he was forgetting. The action only left Rafe in confusion, so he decided just to finish his coffee and text his guy about the car situation.

Only a few short moments later did Harry return with his jacket in hand. He placed it on the table.

“You know, it’s rude to leave while someone’s speaking,” Rafe told him. It was obvious that he was only joking, and it only made the smile on Harry’s face grow wider.

“I know, I’m sorry. But I been meaning to show you this.” He didn’t wait any longer as he opened up his jacket pocket, pulling out the jewels. Rafe’s eyes only widened in excitement.

“You got them. You got the Irish Crown Jewels. How?” He tried to hide the excitement in his voice, but it was impossible. He knew there was a giant smile on his face.

“They were in one of the display cases that Sam threw me on,” Harry explained. “After you tackled him, it gave me just enough time to go get them. It was the one thing we were after. Knowing they were there and that I saw them, I just couldn’t leave them behind.”

Rafe didn’t say anything. Instead, he went over to Harry and wrapped his arms around him. His face was buried in the crook of his neck as they hugged. It felt wonderful to have something going right during this entire ordeal.

Even when the hug was over, they didn’t leave much distance between them. “I can’t believe you got them,” Rafe told Harry.

“Look love, it’s what we set out to get the night we met at the bar. I wasn’t going to leave without them, especially since I got them before the flames. Now, what do you want to do with them?” At first, they set out to find them so they could surpass Nathan Drake, but did they still want to do that? After everything that’s been done is it worth it?

Rafe took as seat, thinking for a moment. “We’ll figure out what to do with them later. It can be our little trophy right now anyways. Besides, I think it’s best for us to lay low for a bit.”

Harry nodded. “Do you think they think we died in that fire?”

“I don’t know,” he shrugged. “Maybe. Maybe not. It might even work in our favor, them thinking we’re dead. They’ll never suspect us.” The final word caused a look of question to overcome Harry’s face.

“Us?”

Rafe smiled. “Yes us. I want you to be my partner. My business partner,” he explained. “I don’t get along with a lot of people. All my partnerships usually end in fights. You and I though, we get along pretty well. Sure we had our moments, but we’re fine now. Right?” Harry nodded. “Besides, I like you. I like you a lot,” he added. He got off the chair and held his hand out. “So, what do you say?”

Harry didn’t take his hand and instead went in for another hug. It brought a smile to both of their faces. This was the best thing to happen to him a while. In fact, Rafe was one of the best things to happen to him ever. They did have their ups and downs, just like he said, but they overcame them. They knew how to work with one another, and that meant for a great future ahead as long as they worked together. As long as they stayed together.

And with how the hug was longer and tighter than the last, they would be together for a long time.

Rafe pulled back, and Harry cupped his face in his hands. They looked into each others eyes.  “Can I?” Harry asked.

“Please,” Rafe told him.

With their eyes closed, Harry pulled his face towards his and their lips met. It was short and sweet, and almost better than any treasure they could’ve found.

Rafe pulled back after the kiss had ended, and took a few steps away. Harry only looked at him. “Who would’ve thought that that night in the bar was all leading up to this,” Rafe said.

“Fate works in mysterious ways love,” Harry reminded him. It caused Rafe to smile and look back at him.

“You really think fate brought us together?”

Harry nodded. “We were meant to meet in that bar, we were meant to work together, we were meant to find the jewels together, and we were meant for each other. See? Fate.” Rafe didn’t say anything as he walked back over to him. However, whatever he was going to do was going to have to wait as his phone began ringing.

“It’s about our rides, I need to take it.” He picked up the phone and stepped out of the room, and Harry watched as he walked away.

It probably wasn’t the best circumstances to meet one another but it was the best they were gonna get Harry thought to himself. Still, he was glad they did and he wouldn’t change a thing about it.

Not long after Rafe left did he return. “They’ll be here in an hour. And I know just the perfect way to waste time.” Harry raised an eyebrow at the suggestion, but his idea was shot down in an instant. “I have a contact in Córdoba who wants us to do a job. I thought I’d run it by you first before I give him an answer.”

Harry chuckled and kissed his cheek. “Let’s do it.”


End file.
